Gyros, Tzatziki, and Hummus
Though summer has come and gone, that doesn’t mean we can’t squeeze in one last summer-inspired meal.
Today we will enjoy a delicious Mediterranean meal we all know and love. The bright colors and fresh flavors help us relive our last days of summer holding onto those final days falling asleep swinging in a hammock.
Keep in mind that this might seem like a lot of prep work, but let us reassure you that, in this case, the juice is definitely worth the squeeze! 😉
The Tzatziki and Hummus are amazing side dishes you can whip up on there own, in no time at all. You’ll have your guests thinking you had a four star chef hiding in your kitchen making snacks for everyone at the next gathering.
Talk about another level of yum! So let’s get those aprons and get to cooking! 🧑🍳
Ingredients
Gyro Meat
2 lb Ground Beef
1 Yellow Onion, Minced and Drained
2 Tbl Garlic, Minced
1 Tbl Marjoram
1 Tbl Thyme
1 Tbl Oregano
1 Tbl Salt
1 Tsp Black Pepper
Tzatziki Sauce
16 oz Greek Yogurt
¾ English Cucumber, Shredded
1 Tbl Garlic, Minced
1 Tbl Olive Oil
1 Tbl Lemon Juice
6 Mint Leaves, Minced
1–2 tsp Kosher Salt
Pinch of Black Pepper
Hummus
16 oz Garbanzo Beans
1 Tbl Lemon Juice
2 Tbl Olive Oil
1 Tbl Garlic, Minced
1 Tbl Kosher Salt
Pinch of Black Pepper
Garnish
1 c Lettuce, Shredded
½ c Tomato, Small Dice
½ c Cucumber, Small Dice
½ c Red Onion, Small Dice
6 oz Feta Cheese
Pita Bread
Olive Oil
Greek Salad
2 c Iceberg Lettuce, Shredded/Small Chop
¼ c Kalamata Olives
¼ c Diced Tomato
¼ c Diced Red Onion
¼ c Diced Cucumber
2 Tbl Tzatziki
2 oz Feta Cheese
1 Tbl Olive Oil
1 Tsp Kosher Salt
Pinch of Black Pepper
Steps
1. We like to start by getting all of the veggies done at the beginning. Using a food processor, mince the garlic remove and set aside. Next toss in the onion and pulse until finely minced, remove and squeeze the extra juice out, you don’t want the extra moisture in your Gyro mix. Place both ingredients in a small bowl and set aside for later.
2. Switch out the blade on the food processor for the shredding attachment and run ¾ of the English cucumber through, saving the rest for salad and gyros. Once shredded add 1 Tbl of salt to the cucumber and mix well, then place in a strainer over a bowl. You want to drain the extra liquid out of the cucumber usually about 20 minutes.
3. Now is the perfect time to dice up the remaining cucumber, tomato, lettuce and red onion for garnish as well as the kalamata olives for the salad. We like to place everything on a plate or a small tray cover then place back in the fridge to stay cold.
4. Bring on the Gyro Meat.
In a large bowl combine the minced onion, garlic, ground beef and spices from the Gyro Meat list. Combine the mix thoroughly, you want to make sure everything is incorporated nicely. We used powered spices in this recipe out of convenience but you you can use fresh herbs, just make sure they are minced very well.
5. Place the mixture in a meat loaf pan make sure to press the mixture down firmly and evenly. Bake in a preheated °325 oven for 60 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches °165. Once the meat is ready, remove it from the oven and place a foil wrapped brick directly on top of the loaf and let rest for 20 minutes. Once rested, pour off any grease and remove the gyro meat. Grab a cutting board and slice away, we prefer thin slices cut about ¼ “ thick, but you can have it anyway you like.
6. Now its time for Tzatziki!
Grab a medium bowl and mix together the drained cucumber, minced garlic, mint, lemon juice, and olive oil. Next add in the greek yogurt, a pinch of salt and a few grinds of fresh black pepper then stir to combine. Give it a little taste and adjust with lemon, salt or black pepper, depending on how you like it. Place tzatziki in the fridge and let chill until its deliciousness is required.
7. Did someone say Hummus?
On its own this is a tasty snack and super easy to make at home.
Grab that food processor again and drop in the garbanzo beans, lemon juice, garlic and a pinch of salt. Pulse the mixture a few time to break everything up the turn the food processor on low and slowly drizzling in olive oil. The mixture will start to even out become smooth, we recommend stopping a couple times during the mixing process and scraping down the sides of the bowl.
When your hummus is the consistency you like give it a taste, add in what ever else you might want, more garlic, salt or even lemon. Hit the pulse again to make sure everything is incorporated then place in a bowl and toss in the fridge to cool off.
During the last flavoring stage is a good time to add in any extra flavors you might like as well. Sometimes we add in chili oil, chili flakes or hot sauce, this is your chance to let your taste buds get creative.
8. Heat up a griddled or pan and warm up the pita bread, about a minute on each side is plenty. If you have a tortilla holder these work great for keeping the pita warm while you build your gyros. We usually add a damp paper towel inside to help keep the pita bread soft. On another note a bowl with a thick clean kitchen towel also works well.
Once you have enough pita warmed up for the sandwiches add a little oil to the griddle and throw on a few more pitas. This time leave them on until they start to crisp up a little, usually 1–2 minutes per side. Once nice and crunchy pull them off the griddle and cut into triangles to serve on the side.
9. Greek Salad.
In a large bowl toss in you iceberg lettuce, the tzatziki sauce, a pinch of salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Using a pair of tongs mix everything together, making sure all of the lettuce is covered with sauce. You can use more or less tzatziki, depending on how “dressed” you would like your salad.
Next add in the red onion, cucumber, tomato, olives and feta and toss until you have a uniform mix. We usually make the salad right before the sandwiches so it stays as fresh as possible.
10. Assembly Time!
Cut a few pieces of parchment paper about 12” x 12” these will be for wrapping the finished Gyro. Grab a slice of warm pita and add a tablespoon of hummus and a tablespoon of tzatziki sauce then pile on you gyro meat. Next grab your plate of chilled and diced veg and layer lettuce, tomato, cucumber, red onion, feta cheese, and another dollop of tzatziki sauce.
11. Fold the sandwich in half and wrap the parchment paper tightly around the bottom two thirds, twisting the overhanging paper and folding it underneath.
12. Grab a plate and place the wrapped up Gyro on one side, add a big dollop of hummus, throw on a handful of crispy pita triangles and a hot pepper ( totally optional ). Next add a little salad and you are ready to go.
Take a gratuitous food photo or 10 then Dig In!!!
13. This one is a crowd pleaser and we recommend doubling the hummus recipe because it goes Really Fast!
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